


MMX Code: Crimpphire - Understanding Love and Desire

by EdouBunny



Series: Megaman X Code: Crimpphire Short Stories [3]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, As you can see I couldn't wait to write this lol, Awakened Zero, Character Death, I don't know what other tags to put while uploading this so bear with me, Lovers Having to Fight, M/M, Something that's definitely planned for the Audio Drama I just wanted to write it as a fic, Zero's Death, Zero's Destiny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27092827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdouBunny/pseuds/EdouBunny
Summary: Zero tries to find answers to his destiny, but the Virus takes him over, making his mind too high to notice his destiny gets in the way of his ideals. Until love conquers it all.This is the event of Awakened!Zero in X5
Relationships: X/Zero (Rockman)
Series: Megaman X Code: Crimpphire Short Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1463233
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	MMX Code: Crimpphire - Understanding Love and Desire

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write an Awakened!Zero fic since Awakened!Zero became playable on XDive. I loved the animation so much, I thought of him and XZero feels that came along with it! So this fic started forming and I put it off for a few months until I finally finished it on Friday and I just did the finishing touches.
> 
> SO IN HINDSIGHT HERE YA GO ANOTHER FIC FROM MOI!!

These nightmares and spikes of pain are something Zero couldn’t control. The Midnight Ripper’s had enough of it. Especially with the panic of the Eurasia Colony crashing into the earth. Though, after his experience with crashing the shuttle into it, the pains have only gotten worse. He needed to investigate what the crater holds. What anomaly has created the Cyberspace within it? Was it the crash from the shuttle and the remaining bits of the colony, or was it something else? And where did this other virus come from? No one knows for certain, not unless he figured it out himself.

“Zero- I won’t let you go!” X says with a pleading cry. He’s done all he could to keep Zero out of danger. A danger that could harm him in more ways than one, he just had a bad feeling. Something X was very terrified of and has been for the past few weeks, as much as Zero has with his own fears. 

But Zero turns to his lover, gives him a kiss on his helmet crystal, “I’m sorry, Blue Jay. It’s too dangerous to come with me. Please stay here at Hunter Base where it’s safe.” He won’t let him come with him if he ends up walking into danger and it ends up hurting them. At least for now. He doesn’t know if or when the spread of the Virus would reach HQ at all. But he’ll play this by ear, as the humans put it, and hope the shields can hold off spreading the virus to the facility.

As he turned to leave, X grabbed his lover’s arm to keep him from going anywhere. His bad feeling only grew worse with Zero heading out that door. He wasn’t sure what was causing his anxiety, other than the fact he doesn’t want _anything_ to happen to Zero. _His_ Zero. 

“Phoenix..! Please don’t go..! Please..! I fear something _horrible_ will happen to you if you go out that door..!”

Zero sighed, seeing his lover distraught, panicked, and overly anxious as he is, he turns around and envelopes him in his arms. He may as well humor him to help him feel better. It’s the least he can do.

“If I’m not back in twenty minutes, you can go on after me..” He whispered. X, taking in the embrace he was locked within. Without warning, Zero cupped his hands in X’s cheeks and pulled him into a tender kiss. Letting his Blue Jay take it all in before he breaks it and leaves. His left hand still lingering on his lover’s cheek before it’s slowly pulled away as he finally leaves the room. X, so worried, he felt his core sink. 

Zero left to go deal with the Shuttle with the colony only moments before this, and it broke X to the point of anxiety and worry then. But why this? Why now?

Just moments before Zero rushed to go out the door, they were talking about his past. To see what went through Wily’s head when he made him. To see what Bass could have prevented further if he could have done something more. 

Zero saved the Earth and came back alive as he promised him. He could have stayed at Hunter Base. Where he could also be safe. X didn’t understand. He didn’t understand at all. Did he do something wrong? No- Zero said he had to go and find out if those readings in the crater meant something. All he said was it felt familiar and it would be a connection to his past and his original destiny. X sighed. He can’t hep but worry and want to go after him right away, but he has to stay. If only Zero stayed alongside him. He wants Zero to know how much he wants his Phoenix to be safe, too. Not being safe alone.

* * *

Zero, on the other hand, knew X would understandably be worried. He knew X wanted to keep him safe and unharmed. Especially after what happened with the shuttle. No major injuries, but he suffered some, nonetheless, and fatigue went along with it whilst the readings came up for the mutation of the Sigma Virus and the Cyber Crater. There’s no damn way in hell he was standing by and not figuring out what all this meant. His nightmares, the constant headaches, the strength he was building after the Sigma Virus broke out, the familiarity to the readings Alia picked up earlier. 

He knew X was worried, but he wanted to not only do this for finding out his past once and for all after all this time but also to protect X. He felt he had to protect him, no matter the cost.

Once approaching the Cyber Crater, where most of the activity of the Zero Virus was held, he grimaced slightly. He didn’t like the name of this new virus. It was just a mutation of the Sigma Virus after that something had altered it.

“Why did it have to be named after _me_..? Even X didn’t like that.” Possible it was for simplicity or some sort, but that’s no concern right now. The Virus itself was moreover the concern, and if he was going to find any answers about his past or not, along with if Sigma was behind all this. Which, he had a hunch he was. No getting around that. He can sense him.

He was going to find out what was going on, and he wasn’t hesitating one bit. He jumped right inside, not taking to account as to whatever danger lay ahead.

* * *

X couldn’t wait and had been, not for twenty minutes, but for _thirty_ . The only thing X could think about _was_ Zero. He was so worried, he couldn’t sit still in the Navigator Hub. Zero had been gone for a half-hour and the Neo Blue Bomber couldn’t sit still anymore. The only reason he waited an extra ten or so minutes was hoping Zero would come through that door. Back safe and sound with him and so he wouldn’t have to worry anymore. But he didn’t return. And if he was going to sit by and not have Zero return for even more time for that bad feeling to build up even worse, it’s no use. X was going out there after him. And no one was going to stop him.

Before rushing out, Signas tried to, but it was in vain, and X finally left without considering others being around him. There was no use in stopping X from being determined about something. Especially when it was Zero of all people. He means a lot to him. The most important person to come into his life since he found him. They’ve stuck together throughout this entire ordeal and many more before it, despite the fact they couldn’t stick together during the missions for the canon and shuttle parts. The only time they were able to spend was in between those missions, hearing Zero’s soft and calming voice, feeling his affections, and being told he’s loved by him. X couldn’t tell how many times he held his Midnight Ripper’s hand. And then suddenly, he had to leave him again with the shuttle. Zero was one of their best pilots, and if only they had time to fix the autopilot so his lover wouldn’t suffer injuries or worse.

That departure was rough. The only thing X ever remembered through all his tears was a ring Zero had given him. A sort of promise Zero wanted him to keep.

_Stay alive, even if I’m gone._ Zero’s voice echoed in his memory chip, _Just promise me to do your best. I probably will make it through this. But if something else happens in this insanity, just remember to look after yourself. And I’ll look after you from afar._

X chuckled to himself. Zero didn’t believe in higher powers or spiritual guidance. So, why would he say that? Just to help X feel better? Well, it worked since he would have loved to feel Zero’s presence to help him go on if he ever lost him again. Once was enough, he didn’t want it to happen again in this worse of a situation than it ever did before. But then didn’t at the same time. For he had another lingering fear that X couldn’t place or make sense of.

_Most importantly… Don’t forget me. Please. Please promise me that._ X then remembered he made the promise and was being given a pink tea rose from their personal garden, which made X’s tears flow out more than ever before that moment. All he could do was hold the rose close while wearing the ring while Zero went up to collide the shuttle with the colony.

But that moment had passed, and he felt something worse would happen if he didn’t go to where his Phoenix could be. He had to go after Zero in hopes to bring him back home safe and sound. And fast.

* * *

After trekking what felt like hours in the Cyber Crater, which is where he felt Zero left to. Looking around, he really did feel like he was in Cyberspace. What with this rift in this crater had created, it just felt so surreal to him that he didn’t have to do anything special to end up here. No special equipment or anything of that sort for it. He just jumped right in and he was here.

He remembered Lifesaver being in the Navigator Hub while Zero was in the shuttle. All he could remember through his anxiety about his lover was the Medic telling him of Zero’s Master Carrying Virus. He’s likely had it since creation, and it was the very same virus a lot of Reploids and Mechanaloids have been infected with, and what caused the spike in Maverickism since. X didn’t want to believe that. He didn’t want to think Zero would be the cause of Maverickism being worse and being a Master Carrier of the original Maverick Virus. He couldn’t. There was no way that had to be true. But with all the information Lifesaver had held within medical and diagnosis records of every Reploid in HQ. So there was no point in denying the Medic’s information about Zero.

All X could think about was he wanted Zero safe. He wanted him _alive_ . Throughout all this insanity, and Zero going off on his own, it was very likely he would be injured if he led himself into a very dangerous place where the Zero Virus originated from. That Virus was said, according to Alia, that it was stronger than the Sigma Virus, being a mutation after all, and from what Lifesaver had told him, things made so much more sense. Despite the fact, he didn’t want to believe _any_ of this was connected to Zero. His best friend. His beloved. His Phoenix. A person who meant so much to him, he couldn’t just let him die again. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

All Zero could remember was being in the Cyber Crater to find answers, but all he found was a collar wrapped around his neck, searing pain that was vaguely familiar, and then, total euphoria. A huge grin had formed on his face. His exhilaration had led him to feel like he was floating mid-air. Literally. There was a blue-ish glow to him, his eyes red, his hair also floated above him as he did. His phoenix wings emerging and corrupting to dark energy, and a “W” glowing from his helmet crystal as he remembered everything.

He felt the power seep through him. Surges of electricity giving him the adrenaline high that gives him the drive. Remembering his past. His destiny. His purpose and goal of what it once was. It all came together now.

With X arriving, however, his sight upon Zero has shocked him immensely. Seeing him float there, his back facing him, and seeing the hair and corrupted wings.

“Zero!” He called out, feeling something wrong with just this appearance his lover is taking. Was this the feeling he had boiling in his mind for a while? The Midnight Ripper soon turned around, seeing his Blue Jay before him, still smiling widely. Deviously.

“ _Good of you to come, X_.” He spoke with a pleased tone in his voice, also sounding corrupted, it sounding menacing as well as welcoming. Too pleased to see him, it seemed.

X grew worried at the state his lover is in. He approaches him, becoming determined more than ever. If Zero really was infected with the virus, he’d have to find a way to snap him out of it.

“Zero. I have to take you home. Please. You’re infected with this virus. I can help you.” Determined but pleading, the Neo Blue Bomber wants his only love to see reason through this virus. 

Zero just chuckled at the notion, “ _You really think I’d be coming home with you, dear Blue Jay? Don’t you see? I’ve finally found my purpose. What my destiny is to be._ ” He merely smirked at him, blinded by the power surge and bliss. X felt dread in his core. His lover was more consumed by the virus than he thought.

“W-what do you mean?” He asked. Now greatly concerned.

“ _You see, Blue Jay, I know who my enemy is all along. It was you. Pity how it all ended this way, doesn’t it, my love?_ ” Zero continued to float above his lover, now his enemy as he thought he was supposed to be.

Now X was just confused. Enemy? What did that mean? Was this because he was built by Dr. Light and his Phoenix was built by Dr. Wily? He shook his head to not think too deeply on this, even if this was the one he cared for so deeply, he needed to see to think logically. At least, what he _thought_ was logical for this situation. His emotions can’t speak for him. At least not now.

“What are you talking about, Zero? You know that no matter what happened to either of us, we would always stand together as one. You and me. It’s always been that way. Not something like this.” He tried to keep the tears from coming, no matter if they were beading in his eyes. His voice still held well, thankfully. But his building tears had shown how heartbroken this was making him. He won’t believe this is happening. Not until he gets to the bottom of this.

Zero then landed back onto his feet and slowly walked towards X. He placed a hand gently on his cheek, making a tear fall, and suddenly wiping it tenderly with his thumb, “ _Don’t cry, dear bluebird. Soon enough, you shall also realize what your original goal is._ ” He soon thereafter smacked X with that same cheek, leaving a red mark there and poor X stunned, “ _For you see, you were destined to fight me, as I was to fight you._ ”

Fight him? No. That can’t be right, “But I don’t _want_ to fight you, Zero!”

“ _You must fight me, X. This is the real me that I have been searching for all these years, after all._ ”

X was in absolute dismay, shaking his head at what he just heard, “No! That’s not true!” His voice finally then broke, his tears finally sliding down his face, “I know this isn’t you, Zero! What you were before is the man I love! The virus is just taking you over and making you desert me! That’s what a Maverick does, and I know you'd fight against this! Please don’t give in, Zero! This isn’t the real you!”

Heartache shot through X’s core as if a plasma blast shot right through it. Zero simply laughed, “ _If you truly think that, then maybe you should fight me to get me back!_ ” He brought out his saber, charging forward to the Neo Blue Bomber while he dodged the attacks. He needed to think about how to help his beloved Phoenix, but the attacks were coming in fast, making it very hard to think, along with the emotions X felt.

“ _Come now, X, fight back! You know you want to!_ ” Zero taunted.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Zero!” X pleaded in return. Continuing to dodge those attacks to avoid doing so.

Zero switched his attacks from simply swinging his saber to using other attacks, starting with Twin Dream. X had to think fast, being quick on his feet as well as his mind, still not wanting to hurt his beloved. He could see the sister grin on Zero’s face, but inside he knows his lover is screaming for help.

Without being able to think with all the attacks being thrown at him, X had to attack back, summoning his Ultimate armor and using Nova Strike to stop the other from attacking too quickly. It caught the Midnight Ripper off guard and knocked him back slightly.

“I said I didn’t want to. Didn’t say I wouldn’t. So I warned you!” With everything going wrong and not proceeding as normal, X really did have to think of something. Quick thinking was not his strong suit, but it didn’t mean he didn’t try with some successes and failures. At one point, an idea finally struck him. If he can’t snap him back to normal while fighting, he’ll have to have a much different approach.

Zero bounced back from the attack soon enough, he grinned sinisterly and charged his saber once more. His weapon had charged with electricity and attacked with E-Blade and then leaped above X with a combo of Quake Blazer. His saber swirling in flames as his Phoenix Wings did once before. Luckily, X dodged them before he could make his move. He charged his buster, lunged towards the other while Zero lunged back and about to use Twin Dream again.

But X used his Plasma Charge Shot to stop Zero in his tracks and knock him back even harder and further than with the Nova Strike, and X went in. Wrapping his arms around his Phoenix. Pressing his lips onto his lover’s.

Zero could barely believe the move X made, but before he could knock him off, the Midnight Ripper felt more pain searing through his head before his wings turned back to normal and disappeared, while the euphoria and adrenaline high wore off, and that blasted “W” went away. Zero melted into the kiss, and his eyes opened to reveal they’re a soft blue once more. He closed them and wrapped his own arms around his Blue Jay. X couldn’t be any happier to see those sapphires again. Feel that familiar warmth he missed Zero having during this moment.

Once the kiss broke, Zero looked defeated and turned away, “I’m sorry I was like that, X…”

X smiled, Ultimate Armor still activated and gently placed a hand on Zero’s cheek, “As long as I have you back to your normal self, and alive, I’m happy.”

The moment between them didn’t last as a caped figure emerged from the shadows, taking a familiar shape as it approached the boys.

* * *

Alia couldn’t wait anymore as X and Zero have been gone for hours. She had to get up from her station, Iris being a worried mother-hen as she usually was, “Alia! Where are you going??”

“To find out if I can see where the boys are. They’ve been gone for a long time and I would want them to come home safe and sound. I’m sure you’d think the same.”

Iris, of course, nodded and just went back to work. But someone came through from the door before Alia could leave. Iris looked up, “Spider!” She called and Iris hurried with the other two, hearing the commotion and the Arachnid named Reploid coming through the door.

“How was the mission? Did everything go well?”

Spider silently nodded, “Yeah- everything went fine. But…” He stopped himself before he could say anything else.

Iris then grew absolutely concerned, “Why? What’s wrong?”

More silence between the trio. Spider’s look was sullen, his eyes hidden from his fedora. With desperation growing, as well as worry, Alia grabbed the larger Reploid’s arms and shook him, “Where are X and Zero?? Are they okay??”

“I would lie and say they are. But-” He stopped, both the girls were terrified at what he was about to say, “Only X came back. Barely alive.”

The shock came across the girl’s faces. Zero was dead. No more words were spoken, as when X would awaken, terrible news would be upon him that would shatter him and his heart for years to come.

**Author's Note:**

> And yet another cliffhanger- whoop dee fuckin doo lol
> 
> This was actually going to be in the Audio Drama too, as said in the tags but I really wanted to write it out. It'll probably be different in the Audio Drama, who knows, but I'm excited to get to it. THE FEELS, I'M SO EXCITE ABOUT THE SHIP FEELS
> 
> I'll go make more cuz I crave it [cries]
> 
> anyway hope you enjoyed lmao


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